


Finding Peace

by evil_giraffe



Series: The Long Road Home [1]
Category: Hawaii Five-0 (2010)
Genre: 10x22, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Fix-It, M/M, Post-Season/Series Finale, Pre-Slash
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-10
Updated: 2020-04-10
Packaged: 2021-03-01 23:02:03
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,157
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23575078
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/evil_giraffe/pseuds/evil_giraffe
Summary: When they arrive at their destination, Catherine has some things she needs to say to Steve. (NOT McRoll but no Catherine bashing either).
Relationships: Steve McGarrett/Danny "Danno" Williams
Series: The Long Road Home [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1698235
Comments: 40
Kudos: 181





	Finding Peace

**Author's Note:**

> Hi everyone, so over the years I've written a lot of fic in my head but none of it has ever made it onto the page. This idea however would not leave me alone so here it is.
> 
> I'm super nervous about this and have no clue what I'm doing so constructive criticism / advice is welcomed.

After a long day of travelling, mostly spent in companionable silence, Steve is exhausted so he stands aside and allows Catherine to deal with checking them into their hotel. Upon arriving in their room, he is slightly surprised and disappointed to see two queen beds but he tries his best not to react as he throws his bag onto the first one he gets to.

Cath however must sense his confusion, as she lets out an audible sigh while discarding her own bag before gently taking Steve’s arm and directing him to sit on the edge of his bed while she takes a seat so that they’re facing each other across the narrow gap between the beds.

Silence reigns for at least a minute as they simply stare at each other while Cath seems to be gathering her thoughts and/or her courage.

“So,” she begins, “I couldn’t do this earlier while we were in public, but we definitely need to clear the air between us.”

“Okay,” Steve replies with some trepidation, as that is not a promising start to any conversation.

“Here’s the deal,” Cath continues, “I love you, and I’m here to support you, but I meant it when I said we were better off as friends and never should have slept together. I know you told Cole that I’m the one who got away but you were wrong. I’m the one that was never meant to be.”

Steve opens his mouth to respond but Cath raises her hand to stop his objection in its tracks.

“I’m not finished. I think over the years you’ve built up this idealized version of me, of us, and while we did have some good times, you seem to be overlooking the fact that we’re actually completely wrong for each other. I suspect that you might also be using the idea of a perfect life with me as a shield against having to acknowledge, even to yourself, what it is you really want, _who_ you really want.”

By this point Steve’s eyes are squeezed shut against the threat of tears and his hands are balled tightly into fists. He flinches when Catherine’s hand comes to rest on his knee and squeezes gently.

“I know you’re not ready so I’m not going to say any more about that. So let’s talk about what comes next. I have two weeks before I have to go back to work and you and I are going to have a nice relaxing vacation; we’ll see some sights, enjoy each other’s company, and not talk about any of our many issues. Does that sound good?”

Steve manages to open his still watery eyes and Cath gives him an encouraging smile when he nods.

“Great. But after we’re done, I’m dropping you off in LA and you’re going to stay with Mary for a while. You’re going to need the support of someone who loves you while you start seeing a therapist who specializes in treating PTS.”

Once again Cath holds up her hand to stall Steve’s immediate objection.

“I know you’re not going to want that but don’t even try to tell me you don’t need it. Even Cole, who barely knows you, was extremely concerned about your mental state. Then I spoke to Lou and to Danny, and while we all respect your desire to get away from Hawaii for a while, we also all agree that you most definitely should not be alone at the moment. I’ve spoken to Mary and she’s also completely on board with this plan.”

“You spoke to Danny?” Steve asks incredulously.

“Yes. He’s very worried about you, so when he failed in his efforts to get you to go to New Jersey where his family could keep an eye on you, he pretty much begged me to drop everything and gatecrash your trip so you wouldn’t be alone.”

“What?” Steve asks with obvious confusion. “But even as I was saying goodbye to him, Danny was still trying to convince me to change my mind about leaving.”

“I’m sure that was a half-hearted effort at best. Of course Danny would have preferred that you stay, but he had no intention of standing in your way when you’re finally prioritizing you own needs for possibly the first time in your life. He’s also very much aware that seeing him in pain was only adding to your distress.”

Steve finally loses the battle against his tears, letting them roll down his cheeks as he closes his eyes again and focuses on his breathing to try to avoid devolving into outright sobbing. Catherine’s hand disappears from his knee but a moment later the bed dips beside him and she carefully pulls him into a hug. After a moment of resistance, Steve wraps his arms around her in a way that is probably painful but Cath makes no complaint.

“Hey,” she says soothingly, “you’re going to be okay. You might have a long and difficult road ahead of you, but you also have a lot of people who love you, and we’re going to make sure that you find your way back to yourself, and hopefully, in time, to find a way to move forward with someone who is a far better match for you than I will ever be.”

They fall silent for a while as they continue to cling together while Steve tries to work through his emotions. Eventually he relaxes enough to loosen his grip and Catherine pulls back just far enough to meet his eyes with her own which are a little watery. She clears her throat before speaking.

“So, are you going to cooperate with this excellent and 100% ohana approved plan?”

“Yeah,” Steve replies with some difficulty.

“Good, because no one wanted to find out what Danny would do if you tried to run off on your own again.”

To his own surprise, Steve actually lets out a huff of amusement at that. Cath gives him a smile before pulling away and getting to her feet.

“We should get some rest,” she announces. “Tomorrow we’re going to hike until we can’t think about anything except our aching muscles, okay?”

“Yeah,” Steve says again, and it comes easier this time.

Cath pauses to press a quick kiss to the top of Steve’s head before heading into the bathroom.

Steve remains motionless while he contemplates everything Catherine just told him. He wants to be angry about his partner’s meddling but instead all he feels is infinite fondness and gratitude. Before he can change his mind, he reaches for his phone and sends a quick and simple _‘I love you.’_

Just seconds later, he is rewarded with _‘I love you too.’_

Steve smiles as he begins to feel hopeful about the future for the first time in a long time. Catherine is right; he has a long road ahead but eventually it will lead him back to where he belongs.

**Author's Note:**

> You may be surprised to learn that I actually despise Catherine, but unlike a certain person I'm capable of setting my personal feelings aside for the sake of continuity and character development.
> 
> For me this was the best way to salvage the mess we were given.


End file.
